Previously unreleased video footage of the January 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol by supporters of ex-President Donald Trump is now causing a stir in American politics. In particular, the right-wing populist Fox News moderator Tucker Carlson, who has already attracted attention with controversial statements in the past, received a lot of criticism – including from the Republican side. On his news program he showed images intended to support the claim of a “peaceful demonstration”. His conclusion: the previous presentation was a “serious betrayal of democracy”.
The mere fact that Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy had handed Carlson tens of thousands of hours of video material caused a stir. But what the Fox News moderator is doing with it now adds a lot of fuel to the fire. Carlson claims that the Democrats with their committee of inquiry into the storming of the Capitol just wanted to distract from the truth.
“The footage doesn’t show a riot or a riot in progress,” Carlson said. Federal agents likely incited the violence, he claimed, without being able to prove it. The moderator is known for spreading conspiracy theories and blatantly false reports and for inciting minorities. An average of three million viewers watch his daily evening show.
“One of the Most Embarrassing Hours on TV”
The boss of Capitol-Police officer Tom Manger called Carlson’s editing of the video footage, in which Jacob C., known as the “QAnon shaman”, is misleading (see tweet below). “The show appropriately chose the quieter moments from our 41,000 hours of video footage,” he said in an internal memo seen by US media. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Carlson’s show “one of the most embarrassing hours we’ve ever watched television.”
But the Republicans were also critical. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called it a “mistake” by Fox News to portray the storming of the US Capitol in this way. “In my opinion, the Capitol’s Chief of Police accurately describes what most of us saw firsthand on January 6.” Republican Senator Mitt Romney called Carlson’s show “absurd” and “bullshit”. However, other Republicans in the House of Representatives praised the show.
U-Committee recommends criminal prosecution of Trump
McCarthy had his party’s cooperation with the House of Representatives Committee of Inquiry Capitol– Attack again sabotaged and defended the release of the video footage to Carlson on Tuesday. The commission had gone through the attack and presented its final report shortly before Christmas, in which Trump took major responsibility for storming the Capitol was assigned. The panel also recommended criminal charges against the former president on several counts. Whether the Justice Department will actually take criminal action against Trump remains to be seen, as the recommendation is not legally binding.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
